在本文的越南個案研究裡，首先將分析越南自1986年改革創新之後的發展情況，試圖以比較廣泛與深層方式，來探討越南之經濟、社會和政治發展如何融入世界體系脈絡。儘管越南在經濟發展、維持社會政治之穩定、以及努力打破自身在國際上的孤立隔閡，甚至在增加國家競爭力方面，亦獲得國際社會的肯定和讚揚。然而，本文卻認為這些成果僅僅只是在數量上的成長而已，在質化方面的越南經濟發展表現，以及和最相關的社會平等領域上，仍顯不足。特別是在社會進程和社會成就雙方面上，對於越南社會發展之穩定和平等，仍舊是未被回答的議題。經濟永續發展性必須從多面向的觀點來概念化處理，才能更完整地從學術和實證的標準來重新衡量越南的發展狀況。本文提供了一個研究分析框架，即在上述雙方面皆強調穩定的框架下，分別就經濟成長可以促使人民物質滿足，抑或是經濟平等不僅只是目的，而且也是手段，同時保障社會穩定發展，這也將成為經濟發展的動力。在實務研究結果上，亦可以發現到國家仍然面臨貧富差距擴大、投資失利、緩慢且效能不佳的經濟改革等棘手問題挑戰，而這些挑戰也造成了對經濟成長和社會穩定的負面影響。因此，基於這些議題的考量，在本文裡將處理幾項研究問題：第一，經濟是否得到有效地管理；第二，經濟成果是否公平且平等的分享給不同的經濟和社會部門；第三，重新評估政府的經濟管理和發展宗旨，以理解政策成功和失敗的深層原因；第四，找出可行的解決方針與政策。

In this case study, the authors first analyze the development situation in Vietnam since its renovation in 1986, in term of economic, social, political developments, in the context of Vietnam's wider and deeper penetration into the global life. The analyses come to assert that Vietnam has gained some internationally recognized achievements in developing the economy. However, the paper argues that these successes are of just quantitative nature. The quality of Vietnam economic development and/or the closely related area of social equality, in aspects of both development process and development outcomes, in the light of sustainability and equality are still an unanswered question. Therefore, the notion of economic sustainability is necessarily conceptualized from a multi-dimensional perspective to serve as more complete academic and empirical criteria to re-evaluate Vietnam's development. The authors provide an analytical framework which emphasizes sustainability in at least two senses: economic growth assuring people's physical wellbeing; economic equality as not only the end but also the means and dynamics of economic development by guaranteeing social stability. It is practically observed that the country is still facing major challenges. Rich-poor gap increasing, investment inefficiency, slow and ineffective economic restructuring, etc, negatively affect economic growth, social stability. Those issues inevitably lead to the following questions: firstly, whether the economy is effectively managed; secondly, whether the growth cake is equally and fairly shared among different economic and social sections. Thirdly, therefore, it seems necessary to re-assess the government's economic management and also its development doctrine and policies to understand the deeper roots of both successes and failures to, fourthly, work out some possible solutions.